Why don't we have retractable covers a la Centre Court at Wimbledon for when it rains for any lengthy period of time, but which are "easily" rolled back for days such as yesterday when it was sunny & there was a drying wind ?
And in the manner of professional gardeners when they're sowing seeds in lines, have raised wooden planks across the pitch to save walking on the wet grass/mud, with heat from appliances placed at intervals blowing down onto the pitch where drying is most needed.
Why don't we have retractable covers a la Centre Court at Wimbledon for when it rains for any lengthy period of time, but which are "easily" rolled back for days such as yesterday when it was sunny & there was a drying wind ?
And in the manner of professional gardeners when they're sowing seeds in lines, have raised wooden planks across the pitch to save walking on the wet grass/mud, with heat from appliances placed at intervals blowing down onto the pitch where drying is most needed.
If you take a wet swimming trunks into a sauna, would you expect them to dry out?
The Dome seems to be a great idea to prevent abandonments due to (1) frost (2) snow or (3) rain.
(1) To combat frost, the warm air circulating under the cover will raise the temperature of the first few cm of the soil, so that frost will not penetrate. This means that even if the air temperature drops to a few degrees below freezing, a frozen pitch will not result. This is not the current problem.
(2) Snow can be kept of the pitch simply by falling on the cover, instead of the grass. This has an insulating effect and, as long as the snow can be removed and disposed of, the pitch can remain playable, even after a heavy snowfall. This is not the current problems.
(3) Heavy rain can be kept off the surface by the cover. This will run off and, as long as it can be channelled away from the pitch, the playing surface can remain playable, even after heavy rain. This is not the current problem.
The current problem is that the pitch and immediate sub-soil is waterlogged, with no means of running off as the drains are broken. This can only be cured (temporarily) by drying out the pitch or (permanently) by replacing the drainage. So the short-term measure has to be to completely dry out the surface. Which is why I am puzzled that they are trying to do this by circulating warm, moist air under the cover. The warmth of the air will draw moisture from the surface, minimally reducing the saturation of the top level of soil and maximising the saturation of the warm air under the cover. This warm, moist air will then prevent any further drying of the surface, in effect ensuring that the pitch stays damp. (Hence my question about the swimming trunks in a sauna. Or, to put it another way, cricketers will tell you that a pitch under cover will "sweat" and thus often be more damp than if left exposed to the air).
I would suggest that what the Valley needs is (a) when it's raining, place a cover directly onto the pitch to prevent any rain reaching the pitch; and (b) when it's not raining, remove the cover and let the air dry it out.
The Dome seems a very good idea to keep the very worst winter conditions from causing damage to a good pitch. It seems entirely the wrong thing to use to try to improve a terrible playing surface with a broken drainage system.
One more analogy. If you take a shower, what's the quickest way to dry off: get out of the shower and use a towel; or use a towel before you get out of the shower?
If you take a wet swimming trunks into a sauna, would you expect them to dry out?
The Dome seems to be a great idea to prevent abandonments due to (1) frost (2) snow or (3) rain.
(1) To combat frost, the warm air circulating under the cover will raise the temperature of the first few cm of the soil, so that frost will not penetrate. This means that even if the air temperature drops to a few degrees below freezing, a frozen pitch will not result. This is not the current problem.
(2) Snow can be kept of the pitch simply by falling on the cover, instead of the grass. This has an insulating effect and, as long as the snow can be removed and disposed of, the pitch can remain playable, even after a heavy snowfall. This is not the current problems.
(3) Heavy rain can be kept off the surface by the cover. This will run off and, as long as it can be channelled away from the pitch, the playing surface can remain playable, even after heavy rain. This is not the current problem.
The current problem is that the pitch and immediate sub-soil is waterlogged, with no means of running off as the drains are broken. This can only be cured (temporarily) by drying out the pitch or (permanently) by replacing the drainage. So the short-term measure has to be to completely dry out the surface. Which is why I am puzzled that they are trying to do this by circulating warm, moist air under the cover. The warmth of the air will draw moisture from the surface, minimally reducing the saturation of the top level of soil and maximising the saturation of the warm air under the cover. This warm, moist air will then prevent any further drying of the surface, in effect ensuring that the pitch stays damp. (Hence my question about the swimming trunks in a sauna. Or, to put it another way, cricketers will tell you that a pitch under cover will "sweat" and thus often be more damp than if left exposed to the air).
I would suggest that what the Valley needs is (a) when it's raining, place a cover directly onto the pitch to prevent any rain reaching the pitch; and (b) when it's not raining, remove the cover and let the air dry it out.
The Dome seems a very good idea to keep the very worst winter conditions from causing damage to a good pitch. It seems entirely the wrong thing to use to try to improve a terrible playing surface with a broken drainage system.
One more analogy. If you take a shower, what's the quickest way to dry off: get out of the shower and use a towel; or use a towel before you get out of the shower?
Why don't we have retractable covers a la Centre Court at Wimbledon for when it rains for any lengthy period of time, but which are "easily" rolled back for days such as yesterday when it was sunny & there was a drying wind ?
And in the manner of professional gardeners when they're sowing seeds in lines, have raised wooden planks across the pitch to save walking on the wet grass/mud, with heat from appliances placed at intervals blowing down onto the pitch where drying is most needed.
If you take a wet swimming trunks into a sauna, would you expect them to dry out?
The Dome seems to be a great idea to prevent abandonments due to (1) frost (2) snow or (3) rain.
(1) To combat frost, the warm air circulating under the cover will raise the temperature of the first few cm of the soil, so that frost will not penetrate. This means that even if the air temperature drops to a few degrees below freezing, a frozen pitch will not result. This is not the current problem.
(2) Snow can be kept of the pitch simply by falling on the cover, instead of the grass. This has an insulating effect and, as long as the snow can be removed and disposed of, the pitch can remain playable, even after a heavy snowfall. This is not the current problems.
(3) Heavy rain can be kept off the surface by the cover. This will run off and, as long as it can be channelled away from the pitch, the playing surface can remain playable, even after heavy rain. This is not the current problem.
The current problem is that the pitch and immediate sub-soil is waterlogged, with no means of running off as the drains are broken. This can only be cured (temporarily) by drying out the pitch or (permanently) by replacing the drainage. So the short-term measure has to be to completely dry out the surface. Which is why I am puzzled that they are trying to do this by circulating warm, moist air under the cover. The warmth of the air will draw moisture from the surface, minimally reducing the saturation of the top level of soil and maximising the saturation of the warm air under the cover. This warm, moist air will then prevent any further drying of the surface, in effect ensuring that the pitch stays damp. (Hence my question about the swimming trunks in a sauna. Or, to put it another way, cricketers will tell you that a pitch under cover will "sweat" and thus often be more damp than if left exposed to the air).
I would suggest that what the Valley needs is (a) when it's raining, place a cover directly onto the pitch to prevent any rain reaching the pitch; and (b) when it's not raining, remove the cover and let the air dry it out.
The Dome seems a very good idea to keep the very worst winter conditions from causing damage to a good pitch. It seems entirely the wrong thing to use to try to improve a terrible playing surface with a broken drainage system.
One more analogy. If you take a shower, what's the quickest way to dry off: get out of the shower and use a towel; or use a towel before you get out of the shower?
Oi, Chizz !!
That was MY idea !!!
Find your own solution !
:-)
...and a very fine one it was too!
What I was pointing out is that we seem to have a really good bit of kit for a problem we don't have.
Why don't we have retractable covers a la Centre Court at Wimbledon for when it rains for any lengthy period of time, but which are "easily" rolled back for days such as yesterday when it was sunny & there was a drying wind ?
And in the manner of professional gardeners when they're sowing seeds in lines, have raised wooden planks across the pitch to save walking on the wet grass/mud, with heat from appliances placed at intervals blowing down onto the pitch where drying is most needed.
Comments
And in the manner of professional gardeners when they're sowing seeds in lines, have raised wooden planks across the pitch to save walking on the wet grass/mud, with heat from appliances placed at intervals blowing down onto the pitch where drying is most needed.
Simples !
Fanny" Charlie Dimmock" Fanackapan
Where's King Canute when you need him most?
The Dome seems to be a great idea to prevent abandonments due to (1) frost (2) snow or (3) rain.
(1) To combat frost, the warm air circulating under the cover will raise the temperature of the first few cm of the soil, so that frost will not penetrate. This means that even if the air temperature drops to a few degrees below freezing, a frozen pitch will not result. This is not the current problem.
(2) Snow can be kept of the pitch simply by falling on the cover, instead of the grass. This has an insulating effect and, as long as the snow can be removed and disposed of, the pitch can remain playable, even after a heavy snowfall. This is not the current problems.
(3) Heavy rain can be kept off the surface by the cover. This will run off and, as long as it can be channelled away from the pitch, the playing surface can remain playable, even after heavy rain. This is not the current problem.
The current problem is that the pitch and immediate sub-soil is waterlogged, with no means of running off as the drains are broken. This can only be cured (temporarily) by drying out the pitch or (permanently) by replacing the drainage. So the short-term measure has to be to completely dry out the surface. Which is why I am puzzled that they are trying to do this by circulating warm, moist air under the cover. The warmth of the air will draw moisture from the surface, minimally reducing the saturation of the top level of soil and maximising the saturation of the warm air under the cover. This warm, moist air will then prevent any further drying of the surface, in effect ensuring that the pitch stays damp. (Hence my question about the swimming trunks in a sauna. Or, to put it another way, cricketers will tell you that a pitch under cover will "sweat" and thus often be more damp than if left exposed to the air).
I would suggest that what the Valley needs is (a) when it's raining, place a cover directly onto the pitch to prevent any rain reaching the pitch; and (b) when it's not raining, remove the cover and let the air dry it out.
The Dome seems a very good idea to keep the very worst winter conditions from causing damage to a good pitch. It seems entirely the wrong thing to use to try to improve a terrible playing surface with a broken drainage system.
One more analogy. If you take a shower, what's the quickest way to dry off: get out of the shower and use a towel; or use a towel before you get out of the shower?
That was MY idea !!!
Find your own solution !
:-)
What I was pointing out is that we seem to have a really good bit of kit for a problem we don't have.
I've been stitched up !!
How was it at the end ?